Royal Mail has announced workers will stage 19 days of strike action over the next two months. In an ongoing deteriorating dispute over pay and conditions, the Communication Workers Union announced that the action in October and November will be a mixture of single days and rolling action across Royal Mail Group’s network.
The union said it will have a 'dramatic impact' during peak mail periods such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the Christmas build-up. From October, online retailers typically see huge surges in orders as people up and down the country prepare for the festive season and swipe at the chance to grab goodies on sale.
The union said the move follows a threat centred around the 'outrageous' decision by Royal Mail Group’s senior management to withdraw from major national agreements, push ahead with cuts to workers’ terms and conditions and 'completely sideline' the union. In response, Royal Mail has said the company is losing '£1 million' a day and added it was doing 'all we can' to minimise delays.
